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Michael J. Armstrong

Associate professor of operations research, Brock University

I work in the field of operations research. This specialty uses mathematical models to analyze and improve the performance of systems in business and the public sector. My current research involves models of military combat. These models can help us understand issues in international security studies and in military history. I have analyzed missile warfare at sea (e.g., anti-ship cruise missiles), rocket defenses on land (e.g., Israel's Iron Dome), and key battles in history (e.g., Balaclava, Gettysburg, and Coral Sea).

I have also collaborated on research to help university students make better decisions about their studies. We have examined how students respond to feedback about their grades, and how well they perform when repeating courses.

I have been a Fulbright visiting research chair at Norwich University, and a visiting professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Most of my research papers are available on Brock University's Digital Repository site.
http://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/6819

I teach courses in quality improvement, game theory, and operations management. I hold several professional certifications from the American Society for Quality.

Israel seems poised for a massive invasion of Gaza rather than prolonged attrition

Oct 16, 2023 09:12 am UTC| Politics

In the days since the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas, Israel has counted its dead and secured its borders. The country now faces a grim choice. Will it continue trading air strikes and rocket fire with Hamas militants...

Cannabis in Canada: Debunking myths about the real impacts of legalization

Oct 10, 2023 07:39 am UTC| Law

Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, there was considerable debate about its potential effects. Some predicted it would trigger an economic goldrush, while others worried it would lead to public...

Give cannabis producers more packaging and labelling flexibility

Jan 19, 2021 04:57 am UTC| Law

While efforts to legalize recreational cannabis nationally have stalled in the United States, New Zealand, Mexico and Israel, Canadas legal market continues to evolve. Health Canada has recently been receiving...

Global Geopolitics Series

Iran flexes its missile muscle with terrible consequences

Jan 14, 2020 00:34 am UTC| Insights & Views

Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) recently demonstrated its sophisticated missile technology by attacking U.S. military bases in Iraq. But later the same day, its missiles unintentionally destroyed an...

Cannabis quality involves careful science and carefree highs

Jun 19, 2019 02:03 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

Canadas legal cannabis industry continues to make progress. Product shortages are decreasing. Store numbers are increasing. And edible cannabis regulations have just been finalized. With these basics falling into place,...

How Canadians are buying cannabis and getting high now that it's legal

Feb 19, 2019 16:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law Health

There was much speculation throughout 2018 about Canadas soon-to-be-legal cannabis market. But only recently has data become available that shows what cannabis consumers really want and actually buy. For example,...

Where's the weed? Clues to Canada's cannabis shortages

Jan 27, 2019 14:33 pm UTC| Business

Wheres the weed!? Thats been a common Canadian refrain lately. Shortages appeared almost immediately after recreational cannabis sales began last October. Provincial distributors subsequently blamed producers and...

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Economy

Morgan Stanley Warns Against Overestimating EV Demand Boost from Rising Oil Prices

Morgan Stanley is urging caution among investors who believe that surging oil prices will automatically trigger a rapid recovery for South Korean battery manufacturers. While recent headlines have painted an optimistic...

Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz Again After Brief Reopening, Rattling Global Energy Markets

Hopes for a restoration of normal energy shipping through the Strait of Hormuz collapsed within hours on Saturday after Iran reimposed tight restrictions on the vital maritime corridor, just a day after declaring it open....

Uranium Bull Market Gains Momentum Amid Supply Deficits and Geopolitical Tensions

The uranium market is entering a powerful new phase, with structural supply shortfalls and rising energy security concerns driving long-term bullish momentum. A recent special report from BCA Research confirms that the...

Energy Price Spike Won't Trigger Lasting Inflation, Analysts Say

A new report from BCA Research suggests that the recent surge in energy prices, driven by ongoing Middle East tensions, is unlikely to spark a prolonged period of runaway inflation in major global economies. According to...

Australia Extends Fuel Sulphur Relaxation Amid Iran War Supply Disruptions

Australia has extended its temporary easing of fuel-quality standards through September, as ongoing disruptions from the Iran war continue to strain the countrys fuel supply chains. Energy Minister Chris Bowen confirmed...

Politics

Iran's Internal Power Struggle Threatens Strait of Hormuz Stability

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have intensified after Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) overturned a government decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, one of the worlds most critical energy...

North Korea Fires Multiple Ballistic Missiles Amid Growing Nuclear Ambitions

North Korea launched several ballistic missiles toward the sea off its eastern coast on Sunday, according to South Korea and Japan, marking Pyongyangs seventh ballistic missile test this year and its fourth in April alone....

North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Eastward Amid Rising Global Tensions

South Koreas Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday that North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile in an easterly direction. Military officials in Seoul are still analyzing the missiles type and flight...

U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate as Hormuz Crisis Deepens Amid Ceasefire Strains

Fragile ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran are facing serious pressure after a dramatic weekend of escalating confrontations in and around the Strait of Hormuz. New reporting from the Wall Street...

Brazil, Spain, and Mexico Unite to Support Cuba Amid U.S. Blockade

During a high-profile international summit held in Barcelona, the leaders of Brazil, Spain, and Mexico came together to announce a strengthened commitment to providing coordinated humanitarian aid to Cuba. The meeting,...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

NVIDIA Acquisition Rumors Dismissed by Morgan Stanley as Strategically Flawed

Morgan Stanley analysts have moved to cool speculation that NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) is plotting a major acquisition of a U.S. PC original equipment manufacturer (OEM). According to the investment bank, such a...

Iran’s AI memes are reaching people who don’t follow the news – and winning the propaganda war

A Lego-style Iranian military commander raps over a gangster beat: Our inbox is flooded with Americans saying they dont watch the news. They listen to our songs instead since your media is full of shit. This is the opening...

OpenAI's $20 Billion Cerebras Deal Signals Massive AI Infrastructure Push

OpenAI is reportedly set to spend over $20 billion with AI chip startup Cerebras over the next three years, marking a significant expansion of an already substantial computing partnership. According to The Information, the...

Tesla's Terafab: AI Chip Factory Eyes Taiwan's Semiconductor Talent

Tesla is actively recruiting semiconductor engineers in Taiwan for its ambitious Terafab project a fully vertically integrated AI chip manufacturing facility that aims to consolidate logic, memory, packaging, testing, and...

Japan to Subsidize Sony's Image Sensor Plant in Kumamoto with $380 Million

The Japanese government has announced plans to provide Sony with subsidies of up to 60 billion yen, equivalent to approximately $380 million, to support the construction of an image sensor manufacturing facility in...